Words Have Meaning

Spent some time perusing McKay’s yesterday. As I was laughing at a collection of essays on non-violence with a bookish man in a tie riding a bicycle on the cover, I swear I witnessed a woman place a hex on a row of Hunter S. Thompson essay collections. Thompson famously flaunted a reckless, overstimulated violent proclivity that never really left the pages of his books or the barrel of his pistol except in juvenile displays on his ranch, and towards the end, with one final shot that took his own life. But his schtick is more Don Quixote, less Vladimir Lenin.

Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, violence—or the threat of violence—is what keeps society in order. It’s good to get socked in the face a few times in your life to remind you of this fact. Usually, you deserve it. The realization builds character. Prevents you from becoming a “Free Luigi” guy.

I saw a crowd of those types on Saturday night at a concert. Some song about UnitedHealth criticizing, rightly to some degree, faults in the American healthcare industry. But of course, some feeble invocations of Luigi, the man who assassinated the UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, emanated from the audience—semi-ironic in a way that only millennials are capable of.

What’s increasingly coalescing in the world of words is a sentiment that I’d crudely describe as “Assassinate CEOs, but end the death penalty.” It’s communicated directly by some, passively by others, often online and drenched in layers and layers of ironic detachment such that the speaker can hand wave away criticisms as not getting the joke.

But words do have meaning. We’re inundated with images in the modern media environment, but Mangione used words to poorly describe why he did what he did. He didn’t draw a picture, he didn’t point to the stars, he pulled out a pencil and wrote down his thoughts with words.

More than any other media, the bounds of speech are what constrain and direct our thoughts and efforts. It’s easy to forget this, especially with how cheap words are today. I can “call for the head” of an elected official and not really mean it. Hand wave away the accusation that I actually want him dead. “No, I’m just exaggerating. It’s a joke,” I’d plead if put on the stand.

As much as free speech is important to the flourishing of a people, it should not give way to the animal-like howl of words that, if a man were to stick a gun to your head, you’d deny. What makes the irony latent in phrases like “Free Luigi” dangerous is that some people do not get the joke. They don’t understand that you don’t mean what you say. They hear them in earnest, and it affects their actions. The pen is more powerful than the sword, but often, the sword follows the pen. DAVIS HUNT

💸 Property Tax Increase On The Horizon? “Yeah, we should expect this to be an ordinary appraisal year where we're considering property tax rate adjustment,” said Mayor O’Connell at Friday’s media roundtable. The mayor explained that the “cost of governing, the combination of inflationary pressure from the past, cost of living increases within Metro, a new pay plan scenario, and…flat revenues” are the reasons Nashvillians should expect an increase in property taxes. He also pointed to potential grant freezes as an additional factor. “I think the federal funding scenario is going to be putting a lot of pressure on it,” O’Connell said. 

According to WPLN, Tennessee’s Certified Tax Rate law prevents Metro from automatically taking in more property tax revenue after a reappraisal. Since property valuation in Nashville has been going up, that means that taxes will initially be adjusted down. However, Metro can still hold a public hearing and pass a property tax increase.

This year, Davidson County Property Assessor Vivian Wilhoite and her team have been busy assessing over 280,000 properties in the county. In 2020, right before the county’s last reappraisal in 2021, Metro increased property taxes by 34 percent. At the time, former Mayor John Cooper cited the adjustment as necessary to make up for revenue lost during Covid—all while residents were picking up the pieces after the March 2020 tornadoes.

🐶 Freddie Battles DOGE On Friday, Mayor O’Connell made sure to “separate reality from fiction” by addressing the news that a Nashville Social Security office may be on the chopping block. Last week, reports came out that one of Music City’s Social Security Administration leases was flagged for early termination by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

Though it’s unclear whether the brick and mortar will actually shut down, O’Connell explained that the building is essential. “These offices help with applications for benefits, procuring a replacement social security card, name changes, direct deposits, and much more,” he said. “Many of the services can be started online, but require an in-person visit to complete.” 

He also highlighted how federal grant cuts could put Davidson County’s nonprofit network at risk. “The impact that we're seeing right now across the county for related supports include estimates from the Center For Nonprofit Excellence in Middle Tennessee showing that 396 nonprofits are currently at risk of losing fundings equaling $1.5 billion dollars.”

🏎️ Speedway Drama The battle over the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway is heating back up as community members fear being left out of discussions. According to the Tennessean, though stakeholder conversations have taken place between the mayor’s office, Bristol Motor Speedway, the Fair Board, and Nashville SC owner John Ingram, no new proposals have materialized.

“There’s not, fundamentally, a clock ticking on the speedway, but we know lots of interested parties would like to get to certainty,” O’Connell told the publication. “I would say at some point this term, we would also like to get to certainty. The status quo there is not viable and also not ideal for the city.”

The inquisition came after three neighborhood associations in the area sent a letter to the mayor’s office and the council last Thursday. The document was also forwarded to the Tennessean who reported that it urged “O’Connell to give community members the opportunity to engage with the discussion about the speedway.”

Further discussion is expected to take place during tomorrow morning’s Board of Fair Commissioners meeting.

DEVELOPMENT

• Local group plans 1960s-inspired cocktail lounge for Germantown (NBJ)
• Wedgewood-Houston site once eyed for building with taproom sells (Post)
• Luxury gym Equinox slated for Nashville (Post)
• Big Machine entity buys again in Berry Hill next to existing tavern (Post)

✹ REPEAT OFFENDER OF THE WEEK

THINGS TO DO

View our calendar for the week here and our weekly film rundown here.

📅 Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.

🎧 On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.

👨🏻‍🌾 Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide.

TONIGHT

🎸 Bluebird at the Symphony @ Schermerhorn Symphony Center, 7:30p, $39+, Info

🪕 Brownyn Keith-Hynes @ Dee's Lounge, 6p, $10, Info

🎸 Timbo & Lonesome Country @ Jane's Hideaway, 8p, Info
+ modern take on classic country, bluegrass & hillbilly Jazz

🪕 Val Storey, Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle & New Monday @ Station Inn, 8p, $20, Info

💀 Grateful Monday @ Acme Feed & Seed, 7p, Free, Info

🕺 Motown Monday @ The 5 Spot, 9p, $5, Info

📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.

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